Chronic illness can consist of a single or multiple illnesses that last over a period of time (Kaakinen, Coehlo, Steele, Tabacco, & Hansen, 2015). For this assignment, I will choose a chronic illness that could affect a patient in my nursing practice. I will discuss three ways I could promote the health of the patient and the family dealing with the chronic illness. I will end this discussion with a conclusion.
I chose to discuss a chronic illness that has actually affected my family, rather than an illness that could affect a patient of mine. My mother-in-law has been diagnosed with cancer multiple times. The first time, was when my husband was 16 years old. She was diagnosed with a rare liver cancer. She was put on a waiting list
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In spite of what she has been faced with, she has always had a positive attitude and outlook. She is a woman of strong faith, which I believe has played a big part in getting her through the challenges she has faced. Chronic illness not only affects the patient, but all members of the family as well. For her, it has been a challenge with the expense it has incurred for her. She has health insurance, but some of the medications that she is on are very expensive. In the beginning of her illness, it placed more of a financial strain on her. She was divorced and did not have the best health insurance coverage to begin with. She remarried a couple of years ago and now has better health care insurance through her husband. Not being able to pay for your health care during a difficult time is very hard to deal with. As the nurse, we can offer referrals to agencies that may be able to offer some assistance. Psychosocial care should be incorporated into the routine care of patients with cancer (Jacobsen & Wagner, 2012). Dealing with a chronic illness can also have emotional effects on the patient, as well as other family members. Depression is a commonly incurred condition that coincides with cancer, which can lead to other health and social issues. It is of great importance to provide emotional support to the patient and their family members. As the nurse, we can offer support groups to the patient and
In nursing, the patient is often viewed as the main priority of the nursing staff. The nurse works to provide care for the patient based on the patient 's admitting diagnosis. However, the patient must be looked at as a part of the greater system they exist in such as their family or home environment. While the patient may be ill due to a bacterial infection or virus, their family environment also plays a role in their overall health and wellness.
Being diagnosed with a chronic illness is a life-altering event. During this time, life is not only difficult for the patient, but also for their loved ones. Families must learn to cope together and to work out the best options for the patient and the rest of the family. Although it may not be fair at times, things may need to be centered on or around the patient no matter what the circumstance. (Abbott, 2003) Sacrifices may have to be made during difficult times. Many factors are involved when dealing with chronic illnesses. Coping with chronic illnesses alter many different emotions for the patients and the loved ones. Many changes occur that are very different and difficult to get used to. (Abbott, 2003) It is not easy for someone to sympathize with you when they haven’t been in the situation themselves. No matter how many books they read or people they talk to, they cannot come close to understanding.
Often in practice, we as nurses deal with a variety of diseases and treatments and often have to react to the illness that the patient presents with upon our interaction. While this is an essential piece of our practice, we also have a duty to our patients to be proactive in preventing specific health-related consequences based on their risk factors and to promote their health and well being. Health promotion as it relates to nursing is about us empowering our patients to increase their control over their lives and well beings and includes: focusing on their health not just illness, empowering our patients, recognizing that health involves many dimensions and is also effected by factors outside of their control (Whitehead et al. 2008)..
Cancer is a deadly disease that millions of people die from a year. Many loved ones are killed with little to no warning affecting families across our world. My family happened to be one that was affected by this atrocious disease. This event changed the way my family members and I viewed cancer.
Almost all of us have heard of a scenario such as this one: A woman battling cancer has lost almost all hope of recovery. She has not been able to turn to her family for support for fear of their reactions to her illness. One morning she finally breaks down and tells her husband about the cancer. Instead of being devastated and turning his back on his wife, the husband supports the wife, every step of the way, and she gradually seems to improve.
Transition is the process of changing from one state to another. Transition is the core of discipline in nursing ( Schumacher & Meleis, 1994, p.120). One particular transition listed in the Conceptual Curriculum Model is Health-Illness. Health can subjectively be defined as a state of optimal well being while illness can be defined as a sickness having a negative affect on the body. Two of the four aims of nursing are to promote health and prevent illness. In order to be successful in meeting these aims, a nurse will use knowledge, skills and critical thinking. (Taylor, 2011, p. 9). Health Illness can include acute or chronic illness (Murphy, 1990, p.3) There is a correlation between health illness and program outcomes. In order to promote health and prevent illness, a nurse must care for patients,...
Each child will probably have many different kind of health issue during his or her infancy or childhood. In addition, for some children these illnesses are mild, they come and go, and they do not have negative influence on their everyday life and development. On the other hand, for some children, there are some chronic illnesses that have a huge effect on their daily life during childhood. Indeed, a chronic health condition is a health issue that last more than 3 months, and it has a big effect on on a child’s daily life, activity, and development. As a result, it demands more hospitalizations, extensive medical care, emergency care, and/or home health care. According to Weiner, “Each year in the US, 6 million children ranging
Health Care workers are constantly faced with legal and ethical issues every day during the course of their work. It is important that the health care workers have a clear understanding of these legal and ethical issues that they will face (1). In the case study analysed key legal and ethical issues arise during the initial decision-making of the incident, when the second ambulance crew arrived, throughout the treatment and during the transfer of patient to the hospital. The ethical issues in this case can be described as what the paramedic believes is the right thing to do for the patient and the legal issues control what the law describes that the paramedic should do in this situation (2, 3). It is therefore important that paramedics also
First and foremost, it is essential that health care providers remain empathetic, knowledgeable and non-judgemental towards people facing a chronic illness. This will allow the patient to feel comfortable with their health care provider and help instill a sense of trust within the relationship. Several researchers postulated that hope evolves from a therapeutic relationship between patient and care provider, within which the patient feels heard, valued and respected (Hawthorn, 2015). This idea reflects the major importance of active listening by health care providers. Throughout the therapeutic relationship, it is beyond important for health care providers to refrain from pretending to understand what their patient may be experiencing or going through in terms of their chronic illness. “Findings from an early study by (Thorne, 1990) documented that chronically ill patients and their families often found that most health care providers could not be trusted to understand the requirements of managing a chronic health condition” (Bucher, Camera, Dirksen, Heitkemper, Lewis, 2014, p.75). This finding raises an important reminder that the patients are the most valuable and knowledgeable source of information concerning their illness, and that the greatest understanding of the illness will be
Chronic illness issues can include managing their illness, the cost of taking care of the illness, etc. Many people who suffer from a chronic illness suffer a lot trying to manage their illness on a daily basis. According to a website called NCOA.org, “About 80% of older adults have one chronic disease. 68.4% of Medicare beneficiaries have two or more chronic diseases and 36.4% have four or more. Chronic diseases can affect a person’s ability to perform important activities, restricting their engagement in life and their enjoyment of family and friends”
There are many ways to categorize illness and disease; one of the most common is chronic illness. Many chronic illnesses have been related to altered health maintenance hypertension and cardiovascular diseases are associated with diet and stress, deficient in exercise, tobacco use, and obesity (Craven 2009). Some researchers define the chronic illness as diseases which have long duration and generally slow development (WHO 2013); it usually takes 6 month or longer than 6 month, and often for the person's life. It has a sluggish onset and eras of reduction for vanishing the symptoms and exacerbation for reappear the symptoms. Some of chronic illness can be directly life-threatening. Others remain over time and need intensive management, such as diabetes, so chronic illness affects physical, emotional, logical, occupational, social, or spiritual functioning. Chronic diseases, such as heart disease, stroke, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and diabetes, all of these diseases are the cause of mortality in the world, representing 63% of all deaths. So a chronic illness can be stressful and may change the way a person l...
The uncertain nature of chronic illness takes many forms, but all are long-term and cannot be cured. The nature of chronic illness raises hesitation. It can disturb anyone, irrespective of demographics or traditions. It fluctuates lives and generates various inquiries for the patient. Chronic illness few clear features involve: long-lasting; can be managed but not cured; impacts quality of life; and contribute to stress. Chronic illnesses can be enigmatic. They often take considerable time to identify, they are imperceptible and often carry a stigma because there is little sympathetic or social support. Many patients receive inconsistent diagnoses at first and treatments deviate on an individual level. Nevertheless, some circumstances require
... the context of chronic illness: a family health promoting process. Journal of Nursing and Healthcare of Chronis Illness 3, (3), 283-92.
In my medical career, I have been privileged to work alongside some of the most professional, dedicated, knowledgeable and compassionate nurses. I have seen first-hand the difference that they can make in a patient’s life and their family, during those unfortunate times when sickness and injury can be so overwhelming. The appreciation and respect that I have for nurses, as well as their indispensable contribution to the health care system, is what encourage me to pursue nursing as a profession.
A) Nurses play a special role interacting and building relationships with patients, mediating between patients and doctors, and calming patients amongst a stressful, emotional, and even chaotic atmosphere. When patients hear bad news, nurses are a source of comfort and support with words of encouragement and heart-warming smiles. Genuine compassion, emotional strength, and mental stability are required in order to support and protect a patient’s well being. Furthermore, nurses must primarily acknowledge the patient as an individual rather than a person with an illness and present themselves as a trustworthy companion rather than an obligatory caregiver. Nursing has many attractive qualities because they play various, but crucial, roles outside